Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This was made known on Thursday night by the National Chairman of the APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda.

He made the announcement while speaking at the APC’s 14th National Caucus meeting held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.

Yilwatda declared that Governor Mutfwang’s move means the entire North Central geopolitical zone is now fully under APC governance.

President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, led other dignitaries and party faithfuls to attend the National Caucus meeting of the ruling party.

Tinubu arrived at the meeting at about 7:41 p.m. in the company of Vice President Kashim Shettima, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, as well as the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma.

Other top dignitaries, government officials and party stalwarts who attended the meeting included the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen; APC governors; members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC); and principal officers of the National Assembly.

Also present at the meeting are former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and governors who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC. They include Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri; Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah; Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara; Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno; Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori; and Taraba State Governor, Kefas Agbu.

Donald Trump has added plaques to the portraits of all U.S. commanders in chief, himself included, on his “Presidential Walk of Fame” at the White House.

The US President describes past Presidents on the plaque. He described Joe Biden as “sleepy,” Barack Obama as “divisive” and Ronald Reagan as a fan of a young Trump.

The additions were first seen publicly on Wednesday, Dec. 17.

“The plaques are eloquently written descriptions of each President and the legacy they left behind,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement describing the installation in the colonnade that runs from the West Wing to the residence. “As a student of history, many were written directly by the President himself.”

The descriptions highlight Trump’s fraught relationships with his more recent predecessors.

An introductory plaque tells passersby that the exhibit was “conceived, built, and dedicated by President Donald J. Trump as a tribute to past Presidents, good, bad, and somewhere in the middle.”

Besides the Walk of Fame and its new plaques, Trump has adorned the Oval Office in gold and razed the East Wing in preparation for a massive ballroom.

Separately, his administration has pushed for an examination of how Smithsonian exhibits present the nation’s history, and he is playing a strong role in how the federal government will recognize the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026.

Joe Biden is still the only president in the display not to be recognized with a gilded portrait. Instead, Trump chose an autopen, to mock Biden’s age and assert that Biden was not up to the job.

Biden, who defeated Trump in the 2020 election and dropped out of the 2024 election before their pending rematch, is introduced as “Sleepy Joe” and “by far, the worst President in American History.”

Two plaques blast Biden for inflation and his energy and immigration policy, among other things.

The plaques for Biden says that Biden took office in the White House “as a result of the most corrupt Election ever seen in the United States,” alluding to the 2020 presidential election whose results Trump sought to overturn.

It accuses Biden of overseeing “a series of unprecedented disasters that brought our Nation to the brink of destruction,” noting the inflation that developed during his presidency, denouncing the Inflation Reduction Act as the “Green New Scam” and blasting his administration’s immigration policies.

“His Afghanistan Disaster was among the most humiliating events in American History,” the plaque says, noting the deaths of 13 U.S. service members during the 2021 withdrawal.

“Seeing Biden’s devastating weakness, Russia invaded Ukraine, and Hamas terrorists launched the heinous October 7th attack on Israel,” it says.

It also references Biden’s poor performance in the 2024 presidential debate, saying, “Following his humiliating debate loss to President Trump in the big June 2024 debate, he was forced to withdraw from his campaign for re-election in disgrace.”

For Barack Obama, the plaques name him as “Barack Hussein Obama” — the 44th president’s full name, which is often used derisively in right-wing circles.

Calling him “one of the most divisive figures in American history,” the plaque details what the Trump administration paints as his failures, including Obamacare, which it calls “the highly ineffective ‘Unaffordable’ Care Act.”

“He presided over a stagnant Economy, approved the terrible Iran Nuclear Deal, and signed the one-sided Paris Climate Accords, both of which were later terminated by President Donald J. Trump,” the plaque says about Obama.

Obama’s plaque also repeats Trump’s conspiracy theory that Obama “spied” on his 2016 presidential campaign and says he “presided over the creation of the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, the worst political scandal in American History.”

With two presidencies, Trump gets two plaques. Each is full of praise and for himself, including claiming responsibility for “the Greatest Economy in the History of the World.”

Trump calls his 2016 Electoral College margin of 304-227 a “landslide.”

Trump’s second-term plaque notes his popular vote victory — something he did not achieve in 2016 — and concludes with “THE BEST IS YET TO COME.”

Reaction quickly poured in after the plaques were unveiled.

“I spent so much time in the White House,” former vice-president Kamala Harris told Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday night, Dec. 17. “The idea that those plaques would have been placed by a president of the United States to talk about former presidents of the United States — the American people deserve better.”

By Prince Uwalaka Chimaroke
17- DEC- 2025

The Senator representing Imo West Senatorial District and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Capital Markets, Senator Osita Izunaso, has expressed deep concern over what he described as the increasing occupation of political offices by individuals lacking the training, discipline, and values required for effective leadership.

Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at the public presentation of Leadership 365: Daily Reflection for Effective Leadership, authored by Dr. Linus Okorie, President of the GOTNI Leadership Centre, the lawmaker noted that leadership in Nigeria is often misunderstood as merely holding public office rather than demonstrating character, competence, and vision.

Senator Izunaso stressed that authority does not automatically confer leadership, lamenting the absence of intentional leadership development structures in the country. According to him, many political actors assume leadership positions without adequate preparation, resulting in poor conduct, weak decision-making, and a disconnect from the people they serve.

He explained that true leadership reflects in attitude, speech, and behaviour, noting that leaders are constantly under public scrutiny and must therefore conduct themselves with responsibility and restraint. He added that leadership is not exclusive to political office holders, pointing out that leaders often emerge naturally in everyday settings based on influence and character rather than titles.

The lawmaker commended Dr. Okorie for contributing to leadership discourse through his book, describing it as a thoughtful work that highlights leadership as a daily responsibility applicable to all spheres of life. He emphasized that leadership is often revealed through action and integrity, not position, and can be identified even among children through observation of behaviour and influence.

Addressing young Nigerians, Senator Izunaso cautioned against the growing obsession with quick wealth, urging them instead to embrace mentorship and positive role models whose lives reflect sound values. He advised that money should not be the primary measure for choosing role models, stressing the importance of character and long-term impact.

The senator further observed that while technology and artificial intelligence are shaping the modern world, they can never replace the power of the human spirit. He noted that when properly guided, human capacity can drive meaningful change capable of transforming institutions, economies, and nations.

In his remarks, Dr. Okorie underscored the importance of deliberate leadership grooming, stating that nations that have achieved sustainable development did so by investing consciously in leadership capital. He explained that the book was written to encourage consistent self-reflection and inspire individuals committed to making a positive difference in society.

Observers note that concerns about leadership quality have remained a recurring issue in Nigeria’s governance discourse, with critics often pointing to weak institutions, policy inconsistency, and a political culture that prioritizes patronage over competence as major challenges to national development.